Afterglow Farm

The rapidly growing Lake Michigan Bird Observatory (LMBO) has accepted an offer from the renowned Afterglow Farm to establish a permanent office and research facility on the 220-acre property north of Port Washington.

The storied farm, an exceptional oasis of fields, forests and ravines draining into Lake Michigan, was established in 1929 by Joseph and Ilma Uihlein and today is owned by their granddaughter, Lynde Bradley Uihlein, Milwaukee philanthropist and a Schlitz Brewing and Allen Bradley heir.

In a deepening of their relationship, work is nearing completion to remodel the farm’s signature barn for LMBO’s seven-member staff. Since 2020, the barn has been the home base for a network of Motus wildlife monitoring towers, a pillar program for LMBO, along with Bird City Wisconsin and the Neighborhood Habitat Improvement Project. Afterglow also contracts with LMBO for environmental studies on the property.

“Connecting with a property long maintained for ecological diversity will open new doors to avian research that, with the help of our friends and donors, we will continue to expand,” said LMBO Board Chair Sue Schumacher.

By year’s end, LMBO will move from downtown Port Washington and begin working with Afterglow staff to further develop the site into a hub for migratory research, conservation and on-the-ground action.

Regional planning documents recognize Afterglow for its importance in maintaining biodiversity, with potential as a significant site for environmental research. It adjoins the 116-acre Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, established in 2009 by the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust (now Restoring Lands) with major assistance from Ms. Uihlein in its purchase of the former Squires Country Club.

The land trust purchased the Town of Belgium property because its attributes and location in a state-recognized Important Bird Area (IBA) lent itself to supporting migratory birds along the Lake Michigan Flyway. Its hardwood forest, ephemeral ponds, open grasslands and prairie, a partially wooded ravine and wetland ponds constitute a patchwork quilt of habitats that support all kinds of migratory birds, reptiles and mammals. That “quilt” was designed by the late Noel J. Cutright, who simultaneously founded the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory (now LMBO), also with Uihlein’s support, with its headquarters in the old clubhouse at the new preserve.

Facilitating LMBO’s move from an office it had outgrown in downtown Port Washington was a natural extension of Uihlein’s longstanding commitment to bird conservation and particularly bird migration. When the land trust first slated the Forest Beach clubhouse building for demolition in 2020, Uihlein offered the Afterglow barn as a home for its displaced Motus tower. A wonderful symmetry was realized for round-trip migration studies when a Swainson’s Thrush pinged both the Motus tower at Afterglow and subsequently a tower in Costa Rica.

As the working relationship between LMBO and Afterglow expanded, it was evident that their missions complemented one another, leading LMBO’s board to accept with both gratitude and excitement Ms. Uihlein’s offer to host its headquarters.

The end goal is for LMBO’s scientific research and public education to further raise the profile and value of Afterglow Farm so that protecting and preserving the property – which lies only a short distance from a proposed giant data center -- becomes a community priority and not just a priority of the Uihlein Family.

Tucked under the eaves of the Afterglow Farmhouse, in elegant Gothic script, is an old and wise German proverb that translates: “This house is mine, yet not mine. Whoever lived here before, it is not his. Whoever comes after me must also leave. Tell me dear friend, whose house is this?” As Afterglow Farm approaches its “Century Farm” status, These words resonate with Ms. Uihlein, who has stewarded the property to become a cultural and conservation asset of importance.

Ms. Uihlein’s commitment to the environment extends far beyond Afterglow. In an August 2020 interview, she described her approach to conservation philanthropy as “integrated giving.” She has supported numerous science-based organizations that manage and advance conservation for water, land, and endangered species, but she has always had a special passion for birds.

When asked why birds matter so much, she replied, “They are beautiful, fragile and determined creatures sharing habitat with me and bringing joy. They are the barometers of the threat to the web of life.”

In 1990, Ms. Uihlein founded the Brico Fund, a non-profit grant-making organization targeting environmentalist and progressive projects in Wisconsin. She has supported Midwest Environmental Advocates, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Fondy Food Market, Growing Power, Walnut Way, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, and the Wisconsin Wetlands Association.

Her commitment has also been international in scope. In 1995, she helped found the Tirimbina Rainforest Center in Costa Rica, where she began to think more deeply about bird migration and the capacity of such small beings to travel great distances to get to their breeding grounds. With all of the natural and man-made hazards, this journey is fraught with peril.

Said Board Chair Schumacher: “Providing migratory birds with the best opportunity for a successful breeding season became a high priority for her, and LMBO and its Motus project closely meshed with that.”

As this strategic partnership unfolds, LMBO will focus on three areas:

Preservation: Afterglow Farm will continue to manage the property to provide both migratory and resident species of birds and other wild animals excellent habitat by maintaining and enhancing its wetlands, woodlands and old fields. The site, which has the environmental benefit of nearly no noise or light pollution, also will continue as a cultural asset by preserving the built environment, including the Farmhouse, outbuildings and surrounding gardens.

Research: With a physical presence at Afterglow, LMBO will be able to expand its migration research in this key IBA using a set of Motus towers to track the location of bird on the Lake Michigan Flyway. With most species moving at night, radio-tag technology like Motus allows researchers to more fully understand their routes and how to facilitate their success. LMBO plans to continue expanding its Motus monitoring network throughout the state and will begin tagging local Purple Martins for Motus tracking. It also will be able to expand other pillar projects to increase native habitat at migration stopover sites and to continue community outreach through its Neighborhood Habitat Improvement Project (NHIP), which benefits both migratory and nesting birds.

Public education: What is learned at Afterglow Farm will be shared with the public through academic publications and small group opportunities where demonstration gardens will showcase the value of native and pollinator-friendly plants in the home garden.

The partnership with LMBO envisions Afterglow as a valuable community asset where both migratory and resident species will flourish at a site that is both a center for research and an inspiring model of the benefits of native plant restoration.

“The Observatory will continue to be grateful for the support and dedication of our friends and donors, who like us, understand the importance of acquiring a deeper understanding of what we must do to support birds and the environment they depend on to thrive,” Schumacher said.